SINCE launching our Holyrood Weekly podcast this year, our subscribers have been asking for us to start other multimedia shows.
With Holyrood Weekly more focused on the day-to-day political goings-on in Scotland, we’ve been keen to start something totally dedicated to independence.
We’re excited to announce that Scotland Can with Michael Russell will be kicking off next week – and will be all about bringing different sides of the independence movement together to discuss the future of our country.
Once a month Russell will host a panel of figures from all sides of the movement as we dig into the biggest stories from a pro-independence perspective.
We want to showcase different views from around the movement on all kinds of topics, without getting bogged down in the vicious back-and-forth rowing that can so often overtake social media discussions around independence.
Russell, our columnist, SNP president and a former Scottish Government minister, will be starting on Tuesday, October 24, at 5pm with guests from Scottish CND, Alba and the Greens.
The UK Government’s response to the crisis in Gaza will no doubt be a major talking point, but if there are other topics you’d like to put to the panel please let us know in the comment section
You’ll be able to tune in live on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube platforms from 5pm – and if you miss it you can watch back there, or listen back on Spotify the following day.
Commenting on the new show, Russell said: “Scotland Can is an attempt to talk about the big issues of the day - national and international - from the various perspectives in the Yes movement.
“It’s time we had a debate about the world and Scotland that featured the various groups who believe in Scotland, and setting aside those who only want to deny us any voice or view.
“Scotland Can agree on some things, and agree to disagree on others. Let’s try and do it.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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